Redoubt Six

Redoubt Six was one of nine heavily fortified positions along the three mile-long line of Confederate defenses known collectively as Fort Blakeley. Connected by trenches to nearby redoubts in the center and right of the line, it held a key position astride the Pensacola Road, one of two primary routes into the town of Blakeley. During the Battle of Fort Blakeley on April 9, 1865, it became the scene of intense fighting when regiments of the Federal 13th and 16th Corps assaulted it directly. This part of the Confederate line was manned by troops from the 63rd and 62nd Alabama Infantry Regiments under the overall command of Brigadier General Bryan Thomas, with the 63rd defending the works directly in front and the 62nd occupying earthworks farther down the line to the left. Both regiments were recently formed units made up largely of reserves and conscripts, most of them teenagers with no previous military experience. Artillery support in this sector came from Captain William C. Winston's Tennessee Battery, equipped with Parrott rifles and other guns. After days of constant heavy skirmishing all along the lines, Union forces launched their overall assault on Fort Blakeley at 5:30 PM on Sunday, April 9, 1865. From trenches a few hundred yards away, troops under the immediate command of Brigadier General James I. Gilbert charged toward the earthworks at a run. As they advanced through multiple lines of obstructions under intense fire, they took numerous casualties, but within twenty minutes some of the attackers had breached the Confederate defenses and, once inside, swept down the line and quickly overwhelmed the remaining defenders.

Alabama · United States